Sorry, this offer has expired. Set up a deal alert and get notified of future deals like this. Add a Deal Alert

Expired Hot Deals

Sorry, this offer has expired.
Set up a deal alert and get notified of future deals like this.
Set up a Deal Alert

15" Macbook Pro (mid 2014) - IBM Store Refurb i7 256gb SSD 16gb RAM $1595

  • Last Updated:
  • Sep 21st, 2016 3:05 pm
Deal Addict
User avatar
Dec 21, 2013
2161 posts
3198 upvotes
GTA
How easy is it to run Windows on a MacBook? I'm debating between a MacBook and the Dell xps15 touch. Similar price ~2000
Deal Addict
May 4, 2007
1304 posts
721 upvotes
kingofwale wrote: no it won't. Apple fans just refuses to upgrade because of the extremely high initial cost.

the question is... why are you buying a 2 yr old laptop when you can get Surface book or xps 15 for cheaper and more powerful?


Unless you buy laptop for their branding.. then go right ahead.

P.S. ... "Intel Iris Pro Graphics"
Surface Book and Dell XPS 15 cheaper? I would love to see a detailed demonstration of this.

taurian9 wrote: For those on fence whether to switch or not ...my 2 cents
I was a Windows user for about 15 years and last year I switched to Mac by pulling price tag away from my mind. I truly been enjoying being a Mac user. I am not here to list all pros or cons but my top likes are
- outstanding battery for hours yes truly over 5 hours or more while continuously using it
- quick charging
- never need to shutdown as I always close the lid and open whenever I need and it's back to work as soon as I open the lid no lag
- no 3rd parties BS and anti virus stuff etc, this really helps you focus right on your work and that's it

If you select any Windows machine with closest specs out there and you wouldn't find that much price difference

I have no thoughts switching back to Windows based on experience so far

All my personal opinions just sharing

I can relate as well. Have been using Windows since 3.1. I started using Macbook Pro a year ago. I enjoy using the Mac way way more, no question. Using both Win and Mac but if must choose one, I would pick the Macbook Pro over any Windows laptop any day. It's not just about specs on paper. I know better. It's about the overall experience, about the overall craftsmanship of the hardware (trackpad, battery life, keyboard, screen, etc.) and harmony between hardware and software. You can have a 4K screen with your Win laptop but some elements of the Windows OS itself can't even scale nicely to the resolution. That's basically how the Windows experience is. Relatively disjointed and uninspiring user experience, lack of good taste, lack of attention to details, IMO.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Nov 7, 2007
1337 posts
935 upvotes
Portage la Prairie
For those that think all laptops are crap besides Apple products, my thinkpad W520, which has to be 5 years old now, is working great with no upgrades done to it. Still the original i7 quad core, 8gb of ram, and 500gb disc drive. I use it everyday for university, including Office programs. It might not be pretty, but you know the saying, beauty is only skin deep!
Member
Apr 11, 2008
309 posts
94 upvotes
Guys, the OP posted a deal for a Macbook. There are some of us in RFD who are a fan of Apple and are interested in any deals on their products,including Macbooks. I know some of you guys have good intentions here and are trying to help us save by informing us on better deals for non-Apple computers, but the fact of the matter is that our minds are already made up when we choose to click on this post, in that we're specifically looking for a macbook. The reasons may vary for some of us Apple fans, but the over arching one is its clear reliability track record -- and we're willing to pay extra for that. Cheers!
Member
Nov 25, 2013
260 posts
100 upvotes
Toronto
I have a non retina 2012 Macbook pro 15" and it's a beast of a computer i7 dual 500 +250gb ssd 16gb ram and dedicated 650m. I run AutoCAD, revit, sketch up, and the Adobe suite though Parallels running windows 10 and very rarely even hear the fan kick on. Running all of these programs through a virtual machine on the mp15 runs more efficiently then my dell desktop workstation at work.....by a mile

I purchased a dell xps 13 and had it for about 2 days before I returned it as the scaling in windows was awful and so was the constant sleep battery drain and display driver crashing issues it had to go.
Newbie
Jun 27, 2016
2 posts
Wow. Looks like sweet deal.

I actually bought a pro 2014 w/ retina last year. Ended up returning it after a week because some of the software I needed to run wasn't updated/supported by retina screens, so it ended being kind of fuzzy/blurry. Some people don't really notice but it did bother me.

Hopefully by now there's been updates. Just wanted to let you know about that!
Bought a 2012 i7 pro w 4gb ram, upgraded to 16 for less than $100 :D
Member
Jan 6, 2008
368 posts
131 upvotes
Toronto
Geist wrote: Guys, the OP posted a deal for a Macbook. There are some of us in RFD who are a fan of Apple and are interested in any deals on their products,including Macbooks. I know some of you guys have good intentions here and are trying to help us save by informing us on better deals for non-Apple computers, but the fact of the matter is that our minds are already made up when we choose to click on this post, in that we're specifically looking for a macbook. The reasons may vary for some of us Apple fans, but the over arching one is its clear reliability track record -- and we're willing to pay extra for that. Cheers!
+1!
Member
Feb 28, 2012
287 posts
121 upvotes
Toronto, ON
IBM apple refurb with "slight blemish" are mint refurb just like the one you buy from apple refurb. I bought the 2014 13.3 Macbook Pro from iBM refurb and it has plastic seal and power cycle of 7. It's definitely not the off lease machine.
Sr. Member
User avatar
Feb 12, 2013
837 posts
96 upvotes
They also hold resale value relatively well.. Not to say these are necessarily amazing deals, YMMV.

To put this in perspective:

In 2011, I purchased a top of the line 17" MacBook Pro, don't remember amount but it was close to around $1800.
In 2013, I sold that MBP for $1200 and bought a lightly used top of the line 2013 15" MacBook Pro Retina for $1500.
In 2014, I sold that same rMBP for $1450 and bought a top of the line lightly used mid-2014 model w/ Haswell 2.5 GHz i7, 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3, dual graphics w/ Nvidia GeForece 750M GT, and 512 GB flash storage for $1600.
In 2015, I purchased a 2012 quad core Mac Mini for $650, and after the new Mac Minis were announced and released, I resold it for $1000.
Yesterday, I posted the mid-2014 rMBP on Kijiji and have three takers to purchase it outright for $1900.

Basically, after five years of use of top of the line Mac equipment, I've been able to resell everything and break even. To be honest, I'm a little shocked myself.. Just realized this yesterday.
Banned
User avatar
May 15, 2016
7020 posts
2490 upvotes
jesuisdanny wrote: They also hold resale value relatively well.. Not to say these are necessatily amazing deals, YMMV.

To put this in perspective:

In 2011, I purchased a top of the line 17" MacBook Pro, don't remember amount but it was close to around $1800.
In 2013, I sold that MBP for $1200 and bought a lightly used top of the line 2013 15" MacBook Pro Retina for $1500.
In 2014, I sold that same rMBP for $1450 and bought a top of the line lightly used mid-2014 model w/ Haswell 2.5 GHz i7, 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3, dual graphics w/ Nvidia GeForece 750M GT, and 512 GB flash storage for $1600.
In 2015, I purchased a 2012 quad core Mac Mini for $650, and after the new Mac Minis were announced and released, I resold it for $1000.
Yesterday, I posted the mid-2014 rMBP on Kijiji and have three takers to purchase it outright for $1900.

Basically, after five years of use of top of the line Mac equipment, I've been able to resell everything and break even. To be honest, I'm a little shocked myself.. Just realized this yesterday.
How did you manage that? I think you were just in the right place at the right time.
Banned
User avatar
Sep 24, 2014
523 posts
251 upvotes
Edmonton, AB
vivibaby wrote: How did you manage that? I think you were just in the right place at the right time.
Must be due to the sexy avatar. Gets the nerds every time ;)
Member
Oct 24, 2015
214 posts
107 upvotes
Toronto, ON
i am by no means an apple fan and i enjoy bang for your buck quality flagships.... i hate the iphone and samsung lines because i am content with using a smartphone android from budget flagships.. but i must say when it comes to laptop i only go Apple.. the re sale value is amazing and the darn laptops last an awful long time and i havent changed my battery in 5 years and it still holds a 3 hr charge lol
Deal Addict
User avatar
Oct 4, 2004
4349 posts
1588 upvotes
Vancouver
Why do other people feel the need to piss on others' opinions of a product? If people are fine paying a premium for a premium product, let them be... Apple would not be one of the world's most valuable companies if their products were absolute garbage and didn't sell, but clearly they do sell, and sell well. $300 designer jeans don't function any better than $30 Old Navy jeans or necessarily last longer either.. they just look a little more stylish, carry a name brand and may get you a handful of compliments. So does that mean you shouldn't have a single nice item in your wardrobe to wear for special occasions?

Is it the absolute best product on the market? No.
Can you get something comparable or more powerful for less? Yes.
Do we all have different needs? Yes.

If you want to talk reliability, it all depends on the parts being used. A Thinkpad with the same components as an Apple laptop (they don't, for the record) should theoretically be as reliable as the other. Is a Thinkpad more rugged? Probably. Will the MacBook dent far easier? Yes. But in terms of the actual hardware, it really depends on the quality of the parts and I'd like to argue that Apple uses pretty high-end board designs and parts, compared to say, HP. The only downside is that in their quest for beautiful design, everything has been shrunk and integrated. Your SSD or RAM blow up? It'll cost you an arm and a leg to replace. Coincidentally, my T510 had some of the worst coil whine ever and my T410 once failed to boot and suddenly started to work again a few days later, but I know better than to make a blanket statement that all Lenovo laptops will stop working on you.

Also, resale value on Apple products is stupid. The small number of SKUs and exclusivity of the OS helps enormously. I sold my 2011 MacBook Air for 50% of what I paid 5 years ago! I had sold my Acer for something like 60% after having it for just under a year.
Removed external link in signature.
Deal Addict
User avatar
May 24, 2003
4566 posts
1184 upvotes
Golden Horseshoe
jesuisdanny wrote: They also hold resale value relatively well.. Not to say these are necessatily amazing deals, YMMV.

To put this in perspective:

In 2011, I purchased a top of the line 17" MacBook Pro, don't remember amount but it was close to around $1800.
In 2013, I sold that MBP for $1200 and bought a lightly used top of the line 2013 15" MacBook Pro Retina for $1500.
In 2014, I sold that same rMBP for $1450 and bought a top of the line lightly used mid-2014 model w/ Haswell 2.5 GHz i7, 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3, dual graphics w/ Nvidia GeForece 750M GT, and 512 GB flash storage for $1600.
In 2015, I purchased a 2012 quad core Mac Mini for $650, and after the new Mac Minis were announced and released, I resold it for $1000.
Yesterday, I posted the mid-2014 rMBP on Kijiji and have three takers to purchase it outright for $1900.

Basically, after five years of use of top of the line Mac equipment, I've been able to resell everything and break even. To be honest, I'm a little shocked myself.. Just realized this yesterday.
I've had similar experiences with Apple products - it helps if you keep them in excellent cosmetics condition... a TON
Deal Addict
May 4, 2007
1304 posts
721 upvotes
kwk1 wrote: For those that think all laptops are crap besides Apple products, my thinkpad W520, which has to be 5 years old now, is working great with no upgrades done to it. Still the original i7 quad core, 8gb of ram, and 500gb disc drive. I use it everyday for university, including Office programs. It might not be pretty, but you know the saying, beauty is only skin deep!
I have a 6-years old Dell Studio XPS 16 that is still serving me well BUT it's not as enjoyable and trouble-free as my MBP. To this day, I still have issues with my XPS (e.g. trackpad sometimes not working after waking up, requiring me to put it back to sleep and then wake it up again). But I'm at the point I don't care enough to find a permanent solution to them anymore. Nevertheless, it affects overall experience.
Deal Addict
May 4, 2007
1304 posts
721 upvotes
vivibaby wrote: If you're having issues with Windows, it's most likely user error. I haven't ran into any of the issues that you mentioned and I've used dozens of different Windows laptops.
Of course it is a user error... for picking the wrong machine and OS. And you haven't ran into issues because you haven't been using your laptops much. As the saying goes, one who does nothing commits no mistake. Amiright?
Deal Addict
User avatar
Nov 7, 2007
1337 posts
935 upvotes
Portage la Prairie
dysonlu wrote: I have a 6-years old Dell Stupid XPS 16 that is still serving me well BUT it's not as enjoyable and trouble-free as my MBP. To this day, I still have issues with my XPS (e.g. trackpad sometimes not working after waking up, requiring me to put it back to sleep and then wake it up again). But I'm at the point I don't care enough to find a permanent solution to them anymore. Nevertheless, it affects overall experience.
I think maybe Dell is not as good as Lenovo when it comes to software upgrades. I've had no issues, except that I'm dreading upgrading from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Pro (free upgrade till end of July). I should ad that I have had iphones for the past 5 years, enjoy them, and will most certainly be getting the iphone 7 in September. Anyway, I don't hate Apple, I just don't like the Macbooks.
Jr. Member
Jan 14, 2014
140 posts
144 upvotes
Toronto
lhsonic wrote: Why do other people feel the need to piss on others' opinions of a product?
Because it's the internet and there are no consequences for their actions. If people say the things they say online in real life - most of these trolls would have no friends (JK they have no friends to begin with).

The people who hate Apple the most are generally the ones who haven't used their products before.
Deal Addict
May 4, 2007
1304 posts
721 upvotes
kwk1 wrote: I think maybe Dell is not as good as Lenovo when it comes to software upgrades. I've had no issues, except that I'm dreading upgrading from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Pro (free upgrade till end of July). I should ad that I have had iphones for the past 5 years, enjoy them, and will most certainly be getting the iphone 7 in September. Anyway, I don't hate Apple, I just don't like the Macbooks.
Lenovo Thinkpad series would be my first choice if I had to get another Win laptop. However, not sure how their service is for individual, non-enterprise customers. It better be good considering their prices are Macbook Pro territory, if not beyond. Honestly, their Canadian website does not inspire confidence. Also, the price and options for us Canadians are terrible compared to those for the US.

Top